Going Nowhere Fast
by nixandschnitz
Summary: Clarke runs out of gas while taking a solo road trip in the middle of nowhere, but it turns out to be the best part of her trip. Bellarke fluff. Inspired by a tumblr post. Rated T for language and innuendo.
1. Going Nowhere Fast

_If you recognize it, I don't own it._

 _The song Clarke's singing at the beginning of the fic is "Nowhere Fast" by Fire Inc. from the Streets of Fire soundtrack._

 _This fic was inspired by a post on from chatterboxrose on tumblr._

 _"_ _You and me we're goin' nowhere slowly  
And we've gotta get away from the past  
There's nothin' wrong with goin' nowhere, baby  
But we should be goin' nowhere fast"_

 ** _Ding_**

Clarke paused her singing to look down the panel on her dashboard to see the source of the alert.

Fuel level low.

"Fuck!"

Clarke turns on her emergency flashers and pulls her truck over to the side of the very empty highway, slightly anxious at the possibility of being stranded alone, during the middle of the night, in an unfamiliar location and not a single building in sight. She takes her mobile out, thank god it's 2015 and everyone's glued to these things she thinks as she opens her Google Maps app to find the closest gas station. She weighs her options, on the one hand she can continue to drive, possibly running completely out of gas trying to get to the closest station; or she can call AAA for some roadside assistance.

Her pride takes a hit as she dials the number, explains her situation, gives the kind woman on the phone the requested information and begins the, hopefully shorter than estimated, wait for help to arrive.

Taking this road trip was supposed to be something she and her best friend Wells planned on doing right after graduation. Fate had other plans, apparently. The night of prom went from happiness and laughter to agony and heartbreak, Wells and his date were in a tragic car accident that night. Clarke took it hard, losing her best friend so suddenly, but after three years, she finally built up the courage to take their trip. It was going to be the final goodbye to their carefree days before joining the adult life. An idea borne from "just jump in the truck and drive away from it all" after a nasty argument with her mom about her future, that didn't really matter anymore, seeing as Clarke was actually happy with premed, just hating that her mother was right, again.

After the first few stops, Clarke found her desire to take up drawing again. Her hobby had taken a back burner because of the demands of school, and she didn't realize how much she missed it until she disconnected from her life at school. She hadn't thought to include those supplies but quickly remedied that and soon her new sketchbook was filled with sunsets, sunrises, faces young and old. She hadn't felt this relieved, happy, and carefree in too long.

Flashing lights in her mirror drew her back to the present, as she checked the time on her phone, it had already been 30 minutes! What was taking AAA so freaking long!

She jumped in her seat at the knock on her window.

"Ma'am? I'm Officer Blake with the Arcadia police department. Did you need any assistance?"

 _Hot damn_. "I wouldn't mind being arrested by you." The words leaving Clarke's mouth before her brain catches up "Hi. Um, you see, I'm waiting on AAA. They should be here any minute."

Clarke takes a moment to take another look at the cop by her truck. He's got a deeper voice than she'd expect just looking at him. He's got a shit eating grin, yep he heard her first response, and in the faint glow of his flashlight, she can make out soulful brown eyes, a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, deep olive skin, beautiful jawline, her fingers began to itch with the need to draw him. He's unfairly attractive, and she's beginning to understand that cliche about men in uniform.

"Is everything okay? Vehicle breakdown?" Officer Blake asks, concern etched on his features, the consummate professional.

She rolls her window down, looks him dead on. "You have to promise not to laugh."

"Scout's honor." He says with a chuckle.

Clarke sighs and says sheepishly, "I've run out of gas."

He doesn't even try to resist. He's laughing so hard he's doubling over. Clarke gets out of her truck, indignant, _how dare he laugh at her misery!_ "It's not funny I've been here waiting all by myself there's no one around and it's the perfect setting for some crazy slasher to come and kill me!"

"I'm sorry princess, but it's hilarious." He said as he struggled to catch his breath, unable to contain his laughter.

"It's not funny! And my name is Clarke. Not princess. And here you are laughing, thinking I'm some dumb blonde that doesn't know when to put gas in her truck." She says as she softly smacks his arm.

He looks at the place on his arm where her hand made contact, looks back up at her with one eyebrow raised. "Assaulting an officer? That's usually grounds for arrest."

"You weren't supposed to hear that. It's been a stressful evening and I'm not responsible for that comment."

He laughs again as she feels her cheeks heating with embarrassment, and she's quite surprised at the easy rapport that developed quite so quickly between her and the handsome cop. The light flirting was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. She's trying to think of something to keep the conversation going when his radio crackles.

 _"_ _Bellamy! Octavia called the station looking for you. Said to tell you she brought the dog inside, she's going over to Lincoln's, and not to wait up on her when you get home. Murphy said to hurry the fuck up cuz he's not your damn secretary."_

He takes his hat off and runs his fingers through his already unruly curly hair. "Sorry about that, my sister, she knows I worry about her." He lifts his hand to the radio on his shoulder. "Copy that. It'll be a bit before I'm back. Got a stranded motorist about 15 out."

 _"_ _10-4. Miller out."_

"So, Clarke? How about I wait here and protect you from crazy slashers until AAA comes with your fuel?" He says and his face lights up with a wide grin.

Clarke didn't need much time for consideration, but not wanting to further highlight the fact she was attracted to the man and hoping to further explore their chemistry. "Sure, I'd greatly appreciate that. Unless you have somewhere it be?" She replied casually, it was really late and if his sister was telling him not to wait up on her at home tonight, he must surely be at the end of his shift?

"It's no problem, serve and protect, you know? Besides, I'd just end up at home, eating dinner alone, watching Netflix with the dog until I fall asleep. I'm Bellamy, Bellamy Blake, by the way." He holds out the hand not carrying his hat.

"Clarke Griffin, pleased to meet you Bellamy." As they're shaking hands, she feels his thumb caress her hand and she's delighted to see the attraction isn't one sided.

"So, Clarke Griffin. What brings you to Arcadia? Besides your desire for me to put you in handcuffs?"

"You're never going to let me live that down are you? Seriously, Bellamy!" She laughs at his continued reminder of her first words to him.

They make their way to the bed of her truck and she drops the tailgate to give them a place to sit. She tells him about the need to just get up and go, that the trip was originally planned for a post graduation journey; and she doesn't go into all the details regarding the delay of the trip, skipping over Wells and his part in the story; she finds herself telling him about the pressures her mother burdened her with throughout high school. She tells him about how the thought of her whole life planned ahead of her made her feel caged in, but she truly enjoyed helping others, and eventually decided on her own that med school was indeed, the right path, and how most recently she took up her artistic hobby again.

Bellamy, in turn, tells her about his family and friends, and growing up in Arcadia. Murphy and Miller, the two other cops on the other end of the radio, the trio growing up together and being "biggest pains in Chief Kane's ass" in their teens, but straightening out after almost losing Murphy in a fight in the big city nearby and becoming cops. His sister, all sugar and spice and "I'll kick your ass if you look at me the wrong way" wanting to study to be a paramedic. His uncertainty at her romance with the older, tattooed firefighter that just transferred to their little town, a quiet man named Lincoln. The town's mechanic, Raven and her on-off relationship with the bar owner, Wick, and his "microbrewers" Jasper and Monty, getting half the town- the ones above the legal drinking age half- drunk off their butts with the duo's homemade moonshine every weekend.

"You should definitely check out the moonshine at Grounder's. Uh, that is, if you're planning on staying here for a bit. It might not be a planned stop on your trip, but a good time is pretty much guaranteed."

Before she has a chance to take up his offer, his walkie goes off again, a different voice this time _"Bellamy, it's been almost an hour and we haven't seen or heard from you. You know Kane'll ream you about overtime. What's your friggin' ETA?"_

"Oh my god!" Clarke checks the time on her phone, "Where the hell is AAA?" She dials the number and when she confirms her information and previous request for assistance, is floored to learn that they had to send a second car to assist first car coming to her because the first one broke down about halfway to her.

Bellamy overhears her end of the conversation and has the most brilliant idea of the night. He clears his throat to catch her attention and interrupt her. "Clarke, perhaps it would be best to cancel the request, I can drive you into town to pick up some fuel and drive you back here? It'll take less time than having to wait?"

"Son of a… why didn't we freaking think of this earlier? Hello, Ma'am, go ahead and cancel my request, I've got it taken care of." She hangs up and turns to him, "I really appreciate this Bellamy. Wait, I don't have a gas can."

"We've got some at the station. I just need to clock out for the night and grab my stuff while we're there."

"That's fine. Let me just grab my stuff and lock up the truck. I'd hate to come back and find my clothes have been stolen" She pulls out her duffel bag and he opens the passenger side of the patrol car for her. She's unaccustomed to the display of chivalry, but her heart flutters a bit at the unexpected gesture.

The drive to the police station doesn't take as long as Clarke expected. Bellamy shares stories of calls gone haywire on him, Murphy and Miller, her personal favorite being the one about the lady that called every night for an entire week about the neighbor's dog leaving behind presents in her front lawn; and the dog needing to be arrested for vandalism. "I swear she had to be smoking pot or something to insist the dog was intentionally spelling dirty words out on her lawn while he defecated."

They pulled into the city and Clarke was in awe at how homey it looked. She could definitely picture living in a place like this. Working in the hospital and still having time for her art, both drawing and painting. Bellamy turned the cruiser into the police station, near the center of town and conveniently placed across from the hospital and next to the firehouse. The station was a single story building, she couldn't quite make out the colors, but with the moonlight she wanted to guess slate with navy trim, but she'd have to wait until morning to see for sure. It looked welcoming, all things considered. Bellamy parked the cruiser out front and rushed back around to open the door for her, grabbing her duffel before she could exit.

"We'll take my truck, if you want to follow me inside?" Bellamy lead her through the front doors, and turned to the left once they came up to the front desk in the lobby. He opened a door with a sign that said STAFF ONLY to see two men, both around his age, playing what looked like Texas Hold'em, a small pile of skittles in the center of the table, and a small handful in front of each of them.

"You rushed me back here for this?" Bellamy said in lieu of a greeting.

"Well, it's not like you hurried back anyway. Did your so called stranded motorist.." The man facing away from them started to speak only to be interrupted by the other clearing his throat. The speaker turned their way. "Hello there stranded motorist. I guess I can see why Bellamy took so long to get back here." He smirked as his eyes made their perusal of her form. She was about tiki call him out on his remark when she was interrupted.

"For fuck's sake Murphy have some manners and introduce yourself before you insult them." The second man said.

"Clarke, meet Miller and Murphy. Guys, this is Clarke Griffin, her car broke down not too far from here. Please don't scare her away before I get back. She might leave us a bad review on Google." Bellamy jokes as he turns back out the room.

Clarke turns back to the other two men in the room. _There must be something in the water if all the cops in this town are this gorgeous. Holy shit, I need to move here._

"So, how long are you staying in town for?" Miller, the more social of the two, asks after an agonizing moment of silence, both men continuing their card game.

"I'm not quite sure yet. I'm taking this road trip in between semesters of med school and had to stop because of car trouble, so at least until morning, maybe? Is there a place nearby that I could rent a room? I'm sure I could stay here for probably the same price, but I like my walls a little less see thru and I don't think you would give me the wifi password." Clarke's normal sass comes back into play, still a little peeved at Murphy's comment about the length of time Bellamy was with her alone. Miller seems much easier to converse with, and while she wouldn't mind passing time chatting with him, she really wanted to get back on her way, find a place she could stretch out, relax, and get some sleep seeing as she had been driving all day and much of the night. In such a small town, she's pretty sure chips or crackers from the vending machine will end up being her dinner.

Before she has a chance to ask where the vending machines are located, Bellamy returns, having changed out of his uniform, into jeans and a simple t-shirt. Her mouth runs dry at the physique that is clearly defined by the well worn tight tee. She's a sucker for muscular arms, and she just hoping that in her sleep deprived state her brain overrides her mouth before she says anything else embarrassing, especially in front of his coworkers.

"Alright guys, I'm out for the night. Grounders tomorrow night?" Bellamy reaches for her bag again as he places his hand at the small of her back to lead her from the room. Both Miller and Murphy nod and grunt their acceptance of his invitation; Murphy not even looking in their direction, Millers sends her a friendly smile and waves, she reciprocates. Clarke's hyper aware of the warmth radiating from Bellamy's hand as they make their way to the side door of the facility. Bellamy holds the door open for her and they make their way to his F-150.

He gets the door for her and slides her bag into the back seat of the truck, he quickly makes his way around to the driver side. He climbs up into the truck and soon they're on their way back to where her poor little truck is left stranded. "Good news," he says, "I already have the gas can, we just need to get it filled. Pretty sure we can get you back on your way in about 30-45 minutes."

Bellamy lowers both windows, and they begins to pick up speed and as they get further away from the idyllic town, Clarke takes the time to let it all sink in. He has the the radio on, music playing softly it's just loud enough for her to make out an upbeat country song about a girl in a truck, the cool summer breeze ruffling the waves in her hair, she finds herself wishing this was a simple case of boy and girl, driving back home after a date. It just feels...perfect.

The drive back to her truck goes by much quicker than Clarke anticipated, her heart is racing but before she knows it, they've reached their destination. Bellamy shuts the engine off, but doesn't move other than to slide the keys into the front pocket of his jeans. She turns her body in his direction her left leg coming up onto the seat, her arm braced against the center console. He's not looking directly at her yet, but she can feel his eyes on her. Clarke leans her head back against the door frame, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath just listening to the sounds, the crickets chirping, the leaves rustling in the trees, it's so soothing. She's downloaded white noise apps to help her fall asleep, but there's no substitute for the real deal.

Bellamy's running every possible way to approach asking Clarke to consider staying in Arcadia for a few days, even if it's only overnight to sleep. He's pretty sure he can always fall back on road safety and his duty to enforce safe driving, remind her that driving when you haven't slept for almost 24 hours is just as dangerous as driving while intoxicated.

Clarke takes another deep breath, sighs, opens her eyes to see Bellamy looking straight at her. "It's so peaceful out here. Know where I could rent a room in town for a few days? I hear the bar has this really great homemade moonshine."

Bellamy's face lights up with the biggest smile she's seen on him tonight. "I think I can help with that, if I can't find anything, would you be okay sleeping in my sisters room? Since she's staying at her boyfriend's it'll be empty for the night." He unbuckles his seatbelt and climbs out of his truck. Clarke starts to reach for her duffel, but since he's offering her a place to stay for the night, she figures she'll just get it out once they get to his place. Bellamy's already got the gas can to her truck and Clarke stops to drink in the sight of him. Long lean lines, she'd love to draw him, his profile is an artist's dream. Arcadia might be a good place to stay a while after all.

"Sounds like plan, I can always check into the motel in the morning. You know, stay a few days. Someone told me I'm guaranteed to have a good time."

A/N

Let me know what you think. If there's any errors the fault is all mine.


	2. Day 1

Clarke wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings. The room is much more decorated than any other hotel she's ever stayed in. As the fog clears from her head, she recalls the adventure of the previous night, running out of gas, Bellamy coming to her aid and offering her a place to sleep and just in general making this little road block into something better.

The room he put her in wasn't, in fact, his sister's bedroom as he had previously suggested, but their guest room. The walls were almost white, just a hint of lilac; a color his sister must have decided on. The full sized bed was extremely comfortable and there was a photo on the bedside table of a younger Bellamy and what she assumed was his mother and little sister. She could definitely see where he got his good looks from, the whole family was gorgeous.

Clarke grabbed her mobile from where she left it, next to the photo, when she tucked into bed in the early morning hours the night before. She'd woken up much later than she normally does, but still managing around seven hours of sleep. She wasn't sure if her host was already awake, but with it already being ten in the morning, she wanted to be optimistic. She wanted to see more of Arcadia than the police station and she figured it would be a good day for exploring the town before deciding on her plans for the next few days; the rest of her trip will be marginally outlined with no destinations set in stone.

She begrudgingly climbed out of the bed and went to grab a fresh set of clothes from her duffel. She settled on khaki colored denim shorts and a dark pink t-shirt to help keep her from baking in the summer heat. Bellamy had given her a quick tour of the house, a modest sized three bed, two bath home, and knowing her own penchant for long showers or even longer soaks in a tub filled with her favorite bubble bath as a teen, she was certain that having the second bathroom was a blessing when the brother and sister were growing up.

Clarke made her way to the bathroom closest to the room in which she was staying, and made sure not to abuse the hospitality she had been shown but keeping her shower to the minimum. She felt so much more refreshed and as she exited the room the scent of coffee brewing brought a smile to her face. After all, what college student didn't find themselves running on coffee when cramming for finals?

"Good morning," she said as she walked into the kitchen, towel drying her hair.

"Hey. Good morning." Bellamy replied as he looked up at her from the breakfast bar, where he was chopping up various veggies. "I'm fixing an omelette, would you care for one? I'm sure you're hungry." He's also freshly showered, his hair mostly dry except for the very ends, sporting another solid tee, this time in hunter green and a pair of well worn jeans. His motions coming to him so naturally, she can't help but feel a little jealous, she's excellent with a scalpel, but her cooking skills leave much to be desired.

Clarke smiled, granted an omelette isn't so hard to fix, but it's the thought that counts, and having this wonderful stranger offer his home and breakfast to someone who was stranded and in need of help went a long way in making her believe that there's good, honest people in this world. If the rest of the people in Arcadia are just like him, it's going to be that much harder to leave.

She confirms that his choice of breakfast is more than fine, telling him which veggies to include with the egg, ham, and cheese, and proceeds to drink a cup of coffee while studying the man in front of her. In both the lighting and the sunshine rivering through the window above the kitchen sink, his features are much more easily seen. Just like she noticed the night before, Bellamy Blake is a very attractive man. The artist in her was pleased to see the way the light and shadows played with his cheekbones, jawline and the laugh lines around his eyes. She needed to make sure she had a chance to sketch him before so moved on to her next destination. Clarke was so focused on her perusal of Bellamy that she failed to catch the continued conversation.

"...be here any moment so just try to stay relaxed. She's as tenacious as a shark smelling blood in the water when it comes to finding out the details." Just as Bellamy finished the sentence, they both jumped as the front door slammed.

"Bell! Why is there a truck with New York plates in the drive? Do you know how many people asked me about it?" A beautiful girl around her own age and height walks into the room, wearing cutoffs and a navy shirt with the words Arcadia Fire Dept. "Oh, hello. I'm Octavia. And you are?" There's no hostility in her voice, just a healthy dose of curiosity, which makes Clarke wonder about how many times Bellamy has had a woman stay over. She'd like to think if it was frequent, perhaps Octavia wouldn't be so welcoming?

Clarke smiles as she approaches Octavia and extends her hand in greeting, which the other girl accepts, "Hi, Clarke Griffin. That would be my truck." Clarke is able to see the similarities in the siblings up close, but where Bellamy has curly hair and brown eyes, Octavia's is long and straight with blue eyes; they're both blessed with great genes, as the pair grew more attractive from the time the photo in her room was taken and now.

Not one to beat around the bush, Octavia quickly keeps the conversation going, asking what brought Clarke to Arcadia, out of state plates being a huge clue she's not from around here, and more specifically, to their home. Thankfully, Bellamy provides the answers to both those questions, skipping over Clarke's embarrassing first request. At the end of his recap, he's already finished and set a plate down for both girls.

"Well look at you, big brother, knight in shining cop car. I'm just glad you were able to be in the right place at the right time, I mean, could you imagine how long the wait could have been? They didn't even call you back to tell you there was going to be a delay. That's just ridiculous." Octavia replies as she pours herself a glass of orange juice to go with her omelette. "So tell me more about this road trip of yours. I've only been as far as Mount Weather, not that it's exactly far from here."

Clarke tells Octavia the same story she told Bellamy last night while they had sat on her tailgate; about needing to get away from the pressure of having her whole life planned out, unsure about med school, and then deciding that being a doctor was exactly what she wanted to do with her life. She shares how fortunate she was that her mother is a well renowned surgeon, and that she had been teaching Clarke what she could since the girl was in middle school, making sure that she had access to the latest journals and medical texts, when all she wanted to do was focus on her art; but it was something that she was grateful for her mother's tenacity since now that she was taking the course work, Clarke was already familiar with much of the material.

Octavia goes on to share how Bellamy helped to raise her, after her mother passed away while when she was a junior in high school, so she could understand Clarke's need for independence. "Lord knows how many times Bellamy had to call Chief Kane when he'd come home and I wouldn't be here when I was supposed to, but I always had Raven, or Monty and Jasper with me. I'm just glad he never thought to get one of the ankle monitors they use for people under house arrest."

The three of them make short work of getting the remains of their meal cleaned, and once again, Octavia's friendly countenance breaks the silence. "So Clarke, any plans for the day? I would love to show you around but I'm supposed to help Raven move the last of her things back into Wick's apartment." She turns to her brother, arms akimbo, "seriously, though, I wish they'd make up their damn mind already and just friggin' get married, the back and forth is getting ridiculous. She just finished moving out of his apartment two weeks ago. If she'd waited another three days, I'd have won this time and the move back in wouldn't be so irritating."

Octavia goes on to explain how their group of friends make bets about how long it takes for the couple to move back in at each breakup, seeing as it occurs pretty frequently. Bellamy provides the occasional commentary, including side bets about anything from childish name calling to throwing around engineers versus mechanics to whether or not an unsuspecting bystander is on the receiving during the prank war.

"I wonder if she'd rent me the room she's moving out of, at least for the next few days until I decide where to go after here." Clarke said as she started to fiddle with her hands, realizing that although she's on vacation, she'd turned her trip into a schedule with a race to the finish line. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that she'd run out of gas where she did. She was pretty sure that if Wells had been here, there'd be less of a timetable.

"But we have a perfectly nice guest room here?" Octavia asked, sounding a bit confused. Bellamy watching the exchange quietly from where he stood, perched against the fridge.

"I didn't want to infringe on your hospitality, and assume that I could stay more than the one night. I'm still not even sure how many days I'll stay." Clarke replied as she looked from one sibling to the next.

"Octavia's right, we do have the guest room, and it wouldn't be a problem to have you stay with us." Bellamy offered, his expression and posture not giving away how he felt about the invitation his sister offered.

"If you both are sure that it's ok, I can pay you for..."

Bellamy cuts her off before she can finish offering to pay rent. "Clarke, consider yourself our guest, we appreciate your offer of rent payment, but you see, we'd feel terrible about asking a guest to pay for staying with us."

Clarke sighs and smiles, "Fine, I'm sure we can figure out some way I can pay the two of you back."

"Excellent!" Octavia shouts, her excitement over having Clarke stay more than what Clarke had anticipated. "Bell, you're not working today, maybe you can show Clarke around town for a bit? You should totally take her to the river now that all the wildflowers have bloomed, it's so beautiful with all the colors, and the water is perfect for soaking your legs on a hot summer day like this one. Be sure to take along your sketchbook. Everytime Lincoln and I go there he always finds it artistically inspiring. It's not deep enough to really swim in, but it's so peaceful to sit by or in the water and just listen to the breeze and the water flowing. But it's about time I head over to Raven's. Y'all have fun and I'll see you later Clarke. We'll have to do a girls' night, just the three of us."

The lively young woman gets up from where she's been sitting and makes her way back out of the house. Clarke turns to look at Bellamy- "Is she always this ball of energy?"

"Yep, but I wouldn't trade her for anything. I loved her from the moment mom let me be the one to name her. She makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes with her antics, but my life started the day she was born." He pauses and runs his hand through his hair. "So, what say I take you on a tour of Arcadia? Show you the sights?" He offers as he stands and stretches, the hem of his tee riding up just enough to show a sliver of skin.

Clarke tries to not let how affected she is by that little show of tanned flesh, but she can feel her cheeks heating just enough to think he can see her blushing. "Sure, I'd like that. I would love to see that river as well. If it's not too much trouble and you don't have any other plans for the day." She can't help but smile as Bellamy tells her to get ready because he's leaving in fifteen minutes. She's well aware that she's developing a crush on this man, but can't bring herself to care.

* * *

"And that's the general store, it's pretty much a regular convenience store but there's also an old fashioned shake and float bar. I can't begin to tell you how many times Octavia suckered me into bringing her for a black cow after school, especially whenever she got a gold star on a spelling quiz." Bellamy points out to her right hand side. Clarke feels like she stepped into a movie or a country song about how perfect life is living in a small town. There's a small park with swimming pool, the high school is right next to the junior and elementary schools, plenty of shops to cater to every walk of life, she's amazed that there's no name brand department stores, but they're not exactly sequestered away from civilization and unable to drive out to the city if they really need to buy a DVD at one o'clock in the morning.

"So exactly how far out is this river? Octavia didn't really say? Doesn't it have a name?" Clarke asks as she turns her body in the seat towards Bellamy. He's got one hand on the wheel and the other is resting in the open window. She knows she staring but with his relaxed posture, she's trying to take in every line and detail, committing it to memory so she can sketch it out in charcoal.

"About fifteen minutes from the house, it's actually on the edge of Chief Kane's property." He gives her some history on Chief Marcus Kane and his mother, Vera, whom had been very involved with the town's community. "When mom passed, he and his mother, helped to make sure that Octavia and I were coping well. It was hard, you know, to rely on anyone that wasn't family; mom always told me that Octavia was my sister, my responsibility. At one point, while she was still a senior in high school and going through that rebellious teenage phase, we had the biggest argument of all. Ironically, we both ended up with the Kanes. Octavia had run to Vera, and Marcus had come to find me, drunk as a skunk in guilt over the hurtful words I yelled to my baby sister. Vera had taken Octavia to the river, thinking the peaceful atmosphere would help settle her down, which it did. We've always been welcome in their household, and Octavia later took me out there to help me feel the same calm she felt that day. We went there pretty frequently and the last time Kane, Octavia and I were all there together was the day of Vera's funeral."

Clarke's surprised he's shared this with her, they barely met not even twelve hours ago. "I can't wait to see it then, it sounds like a very special place."

Bellamy smirks in her direction, "Well, wait no longer princess, cuz we're here." He parks the truck, shutting it off but still leaving the keys in the ignition, and meets her right as she climbs out her door. She feels a little guilty about not waiting for him to get the door when she realizes that he had rushed to get it for her, she's still not used to such displays of chivalry.

She's speechless at the sight before her. There's a sea of lush, green grass that's about the height of her knee, stretching from the other bank as far as the eye can see. On their side of the river, there are a few boulders placed in a semicircle in the shaded area by two big, strong oak trees, standing like watchful guardians over a small clearing. The crystal clear water is flowing just quickly enough to be heard, and it's so much more soothing than anything on those white noise generators she had to use her freshman year in college when she couldn't fall asleep. There were so many colors of wildflowers clustered, here and there. She could definitely understand why Octavia said her artist boyfriend could easily find inspiration; and she now knew exactly how she could help repay the Blake's for the hospitality and the warm welcome they extended into their home.

Clarke approached one of the boulders, taking a seat and just listening, the sounds of nature helping to soothe both the ache and the restlessness she's been feeling. The wind rustling through the grass, the sound of the flowing water, crisp and gentle, birds singing in the distance. She's not sure how long she's been sitting there, but she finds herself opening up about the past few years, sharing with Bellamy the unrelenting pressure from her mother.

Her mother, whom had already planned out med school, internships and residencies for Clarke, the two of them working side by side at the best research hospital, the mother-daughter team breaking new ground; eventually marriage to Wells, seeing as his father was already making his name in politics, the lawyer and the doctor, a fairy tale come true. A fairy tale that both Clarke and Wells considered a nightmare, their relationship, while extremely close was strictly and would only be, platonic. It created a lot of tension their junior year. They spent much of their senior year reconciling their friendship and planning the best road trip ever, excited at the thought of getting out from under the thumbs of their parents and the expectations thrust upon them. The night of prom, the two of them happy with their dates, and then the ache of losing her best friend.

Clarke couldn't stop the rush of information as it passed her lips, but with each word, she could feel the weight of the world come off her shoulders. When she finally did come to a stop, she noticed that Bellamy had taken a seat on the boulder next to her, the need for a comforting presence outweighing the need for words. They sit there, in silence, time standing still, but going forward just the same.

Bellamy is the first to speak, still unsure of his words, but he starts to share how his mother would tell him stories of Greek and Roman mythology, his fascination with the heroes and gods. When he suddenly had to be the one to take care of his sister, he regretted not being able to go to college and major in history. He joined the police department, but found ways to continue to study the history that was his hobby.

"So you're a history nerd." Clarke teases, glad that he found a way to steer the conversation to a lighter topic. "Let me grab my sketchbook. I'm feeling rather inspired." She gets up and makes her way to the truck, returning just as Bellamy decides that he might be in over his head, feeling too attached to the pretty blonde, and so quickly.

They talk and laugh, and when she finally closes her sketchbook, they take off their shoes, and he rolls up his pant legs as they stand in the river to their, well, her knees. The water is crisp and cool, a refreshing contrast to the heat of the summer sun. _He's even got cute feet_ , she giggles, _oh, you got it bad_ , as she kicks up water in his direction. Before she knows it, he grabs her around the waist and pulls them further into the water, just as it hits her waist, she feels herself being pulled off her feet and underwater. They both come up drenched, laughing, and gasping for air.

"No fair! You cheated!" Clarke laughs as she flicks water at him again, this time with her hand.

"Princess, never go in against an Arcadian when water fight victory is on the line." He laughs and flicks water back at her. They exit the water, feeling refreshed from the coolness of the water, the heat of the sun drying their skin almost immediately, but not their clothing.

Bellamy shakes his head, flinging droplets of water from his hair in every direction as Clarke wrings the water from her own locks. He runs to his truck and pulls out two towels, she's grateful he thought to come prepared, and they use the towels to absorb as much water from their clothes as possible, before getting back into his truck and heading back to his house.

"So, Clarke, you interested in coming with Octavia and I to Grounders tonight? Meeting the rest of the gang and experience the nonstop excitement of Arcadia nightlife?"

a/n: thanks so much to everyone that favorited, followed, viewed, and/or commented! I'm amazed at how well the first part was received. I've been extremely inspired and am glad to be able to add on to this fic a lot sooner than I originally planned. Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

"So, Clarke, you interested in coming with Octavia and I to Grounders tonight? Meeting the rest of the gang and experience the nonstop excitement of Arcadia nightlife?" Bellamy asks her on the drive back from the river.

"Why not, I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

Once they get back to the house, it's closer to five o'clock; Clarke showers, and takes extra care with her appearance, she wants all of Bellamy and Octavia's friends to like her, their acceptance would make the next few days pass more easily. She decides to keep her hair down, taking a few strands from the front and pinning them at the crown of her head to keep her hair out of her face, and limits her makeup to mascara and chapstick.

She had included a pair of jeans when she packed, she's proud of her body, loving the way her favorite low rise pair helps to show off her curves. She picks up a dusky rose colored top with a burn out back and loose half sleeves, which she had originally bought to wear over her swimsuit, and pulls it on over the olive grey tank she'd almost worn earlier today. There's a knock on the door and she's pleasantly surprised to see Octavia, not Bellamy, on the other side; apparently having returned from her earlier errand.

Clarke takes a moment to observe the other woman's outfit. The lean brunette is wearing a gray tunic style top with a bit of ruffle at the bottom and black skinny jeans . Relaxed and feminine, Clarke felt more comfortable that she'd chosen an equally appropriate outfit. She just needed to relax and stop feeling like she was on display for one of her mother's fancy dinners.

"Hey! You look great! Bell wanted me to check to see if you were almost ready. We usually head out around 6 when we're all meeting at Grounders, but with the slight delay everyone must be dying of curiosity. You wouldn't believe how persistent Raven was earlier when she was asking about you. I'm pretty stubborn, she didn't get anything outta me. Told her she'd have to wait like everyone else to find out about the mystery truck." Octavia said as she entered the room, sitting on the edge of the bed watching Clarke put on her shoes, a well worn pair of converse.

"Well, let's not keep them waiting any longer. Shall we?"

* * *

It was a bit of a walk to Grounders, which, when calling it a bar, was selling it short; but calling it "Grounders Bar and Grill and Dancehall and Billiards" wouldn't fit on the moniker. From the outside, it had a very rustic, hole in wall, bar in a country song look, but once you walked inside, it was like the someone took the Tardis approach and turned it into the one stop shop for Arcadia's 21 and up crowd.

Originally, Clarke was nervous about not having had lunch or dinner, but there was a larger selection of food than what she was expecting. There were booths lining half the perimeter, starting at the front of the house, with a full bar to the right of the door, and tables and chairs leading to the small dance floor at the back of the building, with several pool tables to the side. There was a good mix of people, a few girls dancing, some sitting and eating, others shooting pool. Upon closer inspection, she recognized the two men that were at one of the pool tables, Miller and Murphy. They were conversing with a group of men and women at a nearby table,they were all clearly enjoying their night. She was almost 100% positive this was the group of friends she was to meet.

"We're back bitches!" Octavia greets the group at the table, consisting of two guys and three girls.

"It's about time y'all got here! we'd have to send Miller and Murph to find you!" A boisterous brunette greeted them as they got closer to the group. "Hello there. I'm Raven Reyes. Guys, bring some more chairs!" She came around the table from where she had been sitting, enveloped Octavia in a hug and threaded her arm through Clarke's as she directed her to the rest of the group. Bellamy followed the three women, smiled and gave everyone a quick wave, but then made his way over to his co-workers, Clarke sent the two cops a small wave in greeting, a flicker of her fingers.

"So, let me introduce everyone to you and then you can tell us all about yourself." Raven brings her over to a new seat placed to the left of the one in which she had been sitting, Octavia went to the seat to Clarke's left.

Octavia proceeds to introduce the individuals at the table, she recalls bits of and pieces of her conversation with Bellamy from the night before and can put names to the stories she was told. She smiles and nods at each member as Octavia names them one by one. There's Monty Green and Jasper Jordan, the moonshiners who've also been best friends since birth, the self-proclaimed "brilliant masterminds behind a few of the house brews on the menu and even more that are not"; and Maya Vie, Jasper's more even tempered girlfriend. Lastly, Harper Reese, a quiet girl that seemed shy, but turned out to be quite the feisty wildcat once Murphy came from behind her to steal what looked like the last hot wing from her plate.

Clarke introduced herself, and was quickly bombarded with question after question- where is she from, what brings her to Arcadia, how long will she be here for, how does she know Bellamy, the usually icebreakers. Until Murphy, casually leaning on his pool cue as he rests his chin on her shoulder, pipes in- "She's a guest of the town of Arcadia. Bellamy popped her for indecent exposure and he can't resist a pretty face. That's why she's staying with him and not in lock up with the other delinquents."

Everyone's stunned speechless, it's one of those moments where it's so crazy it just might be true, but thankfully Harper calls Murphy out on his bullshit with a playful elbow to his stomach. "John, be serious." She giggles and the two make eye contact, alluding to a private joke of which the rest of the group is blissfully unaware. "Really, what in the world brings someone to Arcadia? Especially from out of state?" Harper asks as she turns her attention back to the table.

"It really isn't as exciting as you'd think. I was passing through the area and my car gave me some trouble. Bellamy came across me while I was stranded in the middle of nowhere and was kind enough to help me out. He needed to stop back at the police station to pick up what he needed to get me back on my way, hence meeting the guys while they were on duty at the station. It was the end of his shift and I had already been driving for way too long to safely continue and he offered me the use of their guest room to rest." The group nodded in understanding, and as Clarke explained that she was taking a road trip while on summer break from studying to become a doctor; the three cops went back to their game of pool.

"Well, I think it's such a great thing to be able to see what the world outside has to offer. Don't get me wrong, I love living here, but sometimes I feel like I'm never going to go any further than Mount Weather." Maya said as she sipped her drink, the young woman also studying medicine, but at nearby Mount Weather University. She worked in the town's hospital, helping Dr. Nyko, the general physician when she's not in class or studying. "But I totally get the feeling of never having any downtime. It always feels like the moment I leave the clinic I'm right back in there."

"Right, well, enough of this, I'm thirsty. Drinks? Everyone? Yes?" Jasper gets up from where he's sitting and Monty goes to accompany him to the bar, leaving the girls to continue to chat and eat. She's right at ease with the four women, laughing like old friends, especially when Raven tells Clarke that the slogan for the guys' beer "Change the tide of your night" came from Monty trying to find the moon so he could change the ocean's tides while on a bad trip.

As Jasper and Monty return with a bottled beer for everyone, they join in the chatter. Clarke tells the occasional anecdote about dealing with drunk frat boys, both at parties and in the campus clinic, and then the embarrassing time she had to chase down a naked three year old in the hospital while interning at the hospital where her mother was one of the lead surgeons. "It was horrible, he somehow managed to lather himself in lotion or triple antibiotic and was slipping out of everyone's grip." The group is roaring with laughter, no doubt imagining a group of hospital staff trying to round up a hyped up child, lubed up like a greased pig.

"So Octavia, has Bellamy lightened up about Lincoln yet?" Harper asked as she reached for the basket of chips and salsa sitting in the center of the table.

"I think he finally has, it's definitely less stressful approaching conversations about dates or spending time with him." Octavia answers and she smiles, the fact that she's completely smitten with Lincoln evident on her face.

"Well, speak of the devil." Jasper adds, and the group looks towards the door. There's two men, both tall, one being a mustached blond and the other, if she recalled Bellamy's description, is Lincoln. _What is in the water in this town? The guys are hot!_

The two men make their way to the table, the blonde man going to Raven's side, and Lincoln makes his way to Octavia and he plants a kiss to the top of her head. "Clarke, this is Wick, the damn engineer and owner of this place" Raven gestures to the man next to her.

"And this is Lincoln." Octavia says and she wraps one arm around the man's waist and leans her head against his chest. "Hey babe, you're not the newbie in town anymore. That honor goes to Clarke here. She just got in last night." He smiles in greeting.

"Lincoln, I hear you're an artist!" Clarke asks, and the two begin to discuss everything from artists, to favorite pieces, medium of choice and whether selling as a private commission is an option for either of them. Chatter around the table increases and Bellamy, Miller, and Murphy come by the table every now and then, joining in or telling a tale of their own, sneaking bits of chips or other appetizers the group is indulging in, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, and fried mushrooms.

The group is now laughing at the retelling of that time everyone waiting to hear their current class rankings got higher than a kite when that "bitch of a guidance counselor" had her favorite incense mysteriously replaced with weed in what was an effort to get her fired. She had dared to suggest that Monty and Jasper could better devote their talents to respectable jobs than trying to develop a winning entry for a nationwide microbrew contest. She'd constantly spoken down to everyone, and tried to undermine the school's administration resulting in her having earned the hatred of the student body. Chief Kane was more than overjoyed at the opportunity to hear she had contributed to the delinquency of minors, but she fled the town before he could arrest her. They'd disagreed on many things, one major topic being security at the high school. "Seeing as he knew someone, or _certain someones_ , were behind the herbal exchange, but he just couldn't prove it because all the evidence went up in smoke." The group roared at Monty's play on words.

"So he decided to not file charges against anyone. And Miss Sydney never came back. Good riddance to bad rubbish." Jasper finished. The duo high fived one another in their own way, still pleased at antics of their younger selves. "And our talents and brilliance resulted in quite the golden goose."

"But there was nothing more funny than having to reassure the debate team captain he was ' _the most beautiful broom in a broom closet full of brooms'_ " the group, minus Lincoln, Wick, and Clarke chimed in on the quote. "And seeing him in the yearbook with that as his Senior Superlative. Brilliant." Raven said as Jasper got up from the table, with a peck to Maya's cheek.

"Alright guys, we whipped up a new batch of 'shine. Wanted to see what y'all think before we launch this in a few weeks for the Fourth of July celebration." Monty says as they see Jasper go behind the bar. "Plus, I just got the newest expansion pack for Cards Against Humanity." He pulls out the deck and by now, the whole group has expanded to three tables. Bellamy sitting between Octavia and Miller, and Murphy next to Harper. She still thinks Murphy's an ass, but is surprised to see him acting civil to the other girl, offering to share the last fried mushroom with her.

Jasper comes back as the cards are dealt, pouring everyone a glass from a junior sized keg.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Octavia says, her words begin to slur and Clarke tries to remember exactly what round of drinks they're about to indulge in, "to friendships, both new and old." Everyone lifts their glasses to one another and to Harper's embarrassment, she going to be the one to play the first black card of the night - "If found unconscious, please attempt the following:"

Clarke takes a drink of the newest brew, a rich, molasses tasting beer with a warm finish. She has to admit it, the duo is sure to make a pretty penny with this one. She savors the taste on her tongue and takes a look at her white cards to find which one would either make the most sense, or be completely, off the wall hilarious. To spice up the game, at the end of each round the "losers" have to take a shot. The groups is having so much fun, not caring for the time, and of course being with the owner of the bar, not getting kicked out at closing time is quite the advantage.

Wick, Bellamy, and quite surprisingly, Murphy are the ones with the most black cards and with the addition of Miller, the most sober. Raven, Octavia and Clarke are slumped against each other, giggling every time Harper plays a card with the word "Penis" on it, which is almost every other round, the poor girl turning more and more red. The night begins to wind down as the more sober members of the party start picking up the plates and cups, not wanting to leave a mess behind for the employees at their next shift. Wick goes to help Raven to the chair in his office so he can get said dishes clean before they head back to his apartment.

The group begins to head their separate ways with Jasper, Maya and Monty getting a lift from Miller. Murphy and Harper are leaving together, hand in hand, he's a big softy after all. He's still abrasive and sarcastic, but as Clarke discovered, it's his overall demeanor and his comments the night before were just Murphy being Murphy.

Lincoln and Bellamy are speaking softly and Octavia is halfway asleep with her chin propped up in her palm, her eyes heavy lidded. Bellamy nods his head, and Lincoln goes to his girlfriend, picking her up and placing her gently on her feet. Clarke feels like she's an intruder to their private moment as Lincoln places a gentle kiss to Octavia's forehead. They're speaking too softly for her to hear, but it's clearly agreeable to Octavia, as smiles widely and engulfs the much taller man into a fierce hug. Upon first glance, she could understand the reservations about their relationship that Bellamy had mentioned last night while they were talking on her tailgate, he's visibly older than Octavia's 21 years, and the tattoos given the strong, silent man an even more intimidating countenance, it's plain to see that he cares deeply for the petite young woman.

She feels a stirring in her chest, wonders what it would feel like to have they kind of relationship these two have, the connection. She's able to stand from where she's sitting, wobbling as she gets to her feet, unsteady from the buzz, and she's pretty sure Monty's and Jasper's newest concoction did more damage to her tolerance than anything before. She feels a little lightheaded, but not enough to make her feel like she can't walk.

Bellamy pops up beside her, she hadn't even noticed he walked away. "Hey, brought you a bottle of water. Help you sober up. It's a bit of a walk back to the house." He says, holding out one of said bottles. His other hand makes his way to the small of her back as he beings to lead her to the exit of the bar.

Clarke has that same awareness of the heat of hand as they walk out into the cool, crisp air outside, the temperature is warmer than the air conditioned interior of the building, but compared to the heat of the daytime, it makes for another beautiful night. They continue in silence, not able to rely on the steady stream of conversation from the group of friends. She wants to ask him about whether or not he was ok with Octavia offering her extended use of their guest room, among other things. She looks at him in profile, glances at him through her lashes, not wanting to draw attention to her perusal. He's wearing another pair of dark jeans, she couldn't help but noticed how they hugged his "assets" while he took his turns shooting pool with Miller and Murphy, leaning over the edge of the table to line up his shot. More than once she almost salivated at that sight, watching the muscles in his arms bulge and flex in the navy blue henley. She felt her body temperature rise and hoped he didn't notice the shiver that made it's way up her spine.

"Any thought to where you might go next?" Bellamy asks and he looks everywhere but at her, continuing to keep his pace easy for her to keep up with.

"I'm still not sure yet. I think I'm going to scrap some of the planned locations that Wells and I had decided on and focus less on scheduled stops and timeframes, school is always papers and deadlines, vacation shouldn't follow such a rigid structure, you know?" She looks down at the ground as they continue their trek to his home.

"That's a valid point, you can't expect to enjoy anything if you're constantly worrying about when and where you've got to be in a few hours, and vacations are supposed to be restful."

"Well, thanks to the copious amounts of alcohol and laughter, this has definitely been the most fun I've had in about three years. I'm actually pretty glad to have got stuck in the middle of nowhere. I'll look back on this when I'm bored out of my mind when school starts back up in September." She laughs, throws her arms in the air and twirls, the buzz of alcohol still in her system.

"September, huh? Are you heading straight to school from vacation or stopping back in for some time with your family before then? I know you said things are strained with mother, but what about you father?" Bellamy's a bit wary about the question, because she hasn't mentioned anything about her life other than school and her mother, he doesn't want to overstep.

"He passed away before I finished high school."

A heavy silence overcomes both of them.

They make it a few more blocks before Clarke speaks again. "I planned on going home for about a week, just to reassure my mother that I'm still alive and to pick my belongings back up before I move into the on campus apartments. So probably mid-August for my return to real life."

He doesn't respond right away, he does that slow nod, processing the information. He knows there's a spark of something between them, something he really wants to explore, he remembers the back and forth flirtatious banter from the night before and he hopes his next question is answered in the affirmative. He stops and turns to her, a solemn expression on his face. "So it might be a bit of a stretch, but, if you don't find yourself deciding on another destination...what about spending the rest of your vacation here, you know, stay in the guest room? It looked like you were enjoying yourself, and as you said, most fun you'd had in years. I know the rest of the the group would love to have you around by the way they took to you tonight."

Clarke looks up at him, pulls on her lower lip with her teeth as she considers his offer, pleased since this means she got her answer to her unspoken question from earlier about her staying in his home. She's also more than delighted at the prospect of being able to visit the clearing by the river to sketch and maybe paint, she could ask Lincoln where to get more art supplies nearby, maybe it's the alcohol that makes it so easy for her to decide.

"I'd love to, and I really did have a great time tonight. And if you're going to let me stay in your guest room for the next two months, I'm going to insist on either paying rent or groceries or something!"

"Well, we'll see about that." He smirks in her direction. "I'm really glad you said yes. I thought I'd have to arrest you for public intoxication to keep you here."

"Bellamy! Stop flattering yourself, I'd have said it to either Miller or Murphy if they'd have been the ones to stop." She says, feeling a small rush of victory as his smirk disappears.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night princess."

Bellamy looks up at the stars, points to the Big Dipper, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and tells her the story of Callisto, her son Arcas, and how one god's lust results into the two being transformed into the bears we still see in the night sky as they continue the walk to what could possibly be her home for the next two months.

* * *

Clarke woke up with the biggest hangover since she was a freshman in college. She clearly underestimated Monty and Jasper's abilities when it comes to chemistry applied in practical applications, those guys clearly knew what they were doing when they perfected their batches of alcohol. She wondered if she could convince her mother to help finance the two young entrepreneurs. Maybe find a way to ensure that Clarke could have a permanent supply of whatever they decide to name last night's flavor.

She drags herself out of bed, body aching and head pounding, makes her way to the bathroom to wash up. She trudges to the kitchen, guided by the scent of coffee, she's loving the fact that coffee is already made and she won't have to struggle to make it herself. She's still in her pajamas and her hair's not quite the mess it was when she first looked in the mirror to brush her teeth, but messy buns are supposed to be messy, right?

Bellamy looks up at her as he sips from his coffee, "Good morning, sunshine. How's your head?" He's trying to hide his laughter, but there's still a huge grin on his face. She might be the most hungover she's been in years, but she's not blind.

"Oh shut up. They party harder than people at my college. How is that possible? Never again will I underestimate the combined drinking prowess of Octavia, Raven, Monty and Jasper. Never again."

a/n: i tried uploading this from my mobile (never again) and it did some funky things with the coding. Seriously, wtf moment. Ahyhoo, hoping this one comes out as intended. Thanks for reading, let me know what y'all think and have a fabulous day!


	4. Chapter 4

a/n thanks again to everyone that added this fic to their follows/favorites list. Y'all are all amazing. A big Texas Thanks go out to batchgirl67, Sey77, and megan0870 for reviewing each chapter with me so far!

* * *

 _Bellamy looks up at her as he sips from his coffee, "Good morning, sunshine. How's your head?" He's trying to hide his laughter, but there's still a huge grin on his face. She might be the most hungover she's been in years, but she's not blind._

" _Oh shut up. They party harder than people at my college. How is that possible? Never again will I underestimate the combined drink prowess of Octavia, Raven, Monty and Jasper. Never again."_

Bellamy tosses his head back in laughter, Clarke definitely looks a little worse for wear, her eyes still a little puffy as she squints in his direction, and he thinks the bed head combined with her slight stature makes her look that much more adorable.

A deep bark lets out and Clarke visibly winces, the loud noise making the throbbing worse, as Bellamy gets up to let his dog, Gus, back into the house. "Sorry about that. I forgot Gus was outside." He comes back into the kitchen with Gus in tow as he sees Clarke looking back and forth between the coffee maker and the kitchen sink, but she grabs the coffee mug on the counter and fills it from the tap, giving a little jump as he sees Gus wet nose attack her leg.

"Hey there cutie!" Clarke exclaims as Bellamy watches her squat down next to Gus, she is quickly covered in doggy kisses, Gus is used to having company over and is a sucker for the ladies. "You said you had a dog the other night, but why didn't I see him yesterday?"

"Octavia sometimes takes him with her when she stays at Lincoln's, it gives me a little piece of mind knowing he's not at home alone all night while I'm at work and she's out of the house. It's not so bad during the daytime since our shifts don't usually overlap where he's by himself for more than a few hours. He's got one of those access panels through the patio door if he needs to go in or out, but I don't like the idea of having it open and unlocked at night with no one home. It's different when one of us is here and able to investigate if he starts barking or growling." Bellamy explains as he fills up a bowl with kibble for Gus.

"I can't really tell what kind of dog he is." Clarke says as she goes back to her mug of water and steals a piece of toast from his plate.

"Yeah, we're really not sure what kind of mix he is, but it doesn't really matter, he followed me around one night while I was on patrol, covered in dirt and whimpering, looking lost, I couldn't resist trying to help him out, I planned on taking him to the county shelter, but he curled up next to me and I couldn't bear to leave him. He's smart, protective of Octavia and the house, and is pretty happy with nights on the couch watching Netflix." He says as he remembers the feel of Gus's tiny body, warm and wiggly as he tried to curl up on his lap.

"In other words, the perfect dog." Clarke's words bring him back to the present, and as he looks back at her, she's got a smile on her face. "I bet he's very grateful that you saved him and took him in." She turns back to look at Gus as he finishes the last of his chow. "Anything exciting planned for today?"

"Not exactly, unlike my lucky sister, who has the whole weekend off, I have to be at work in about two hours until around eleven o'clock tonight. You're more than welcome to have free range of the living room and the tv, and the number for the station is written on the side of the fridge just in case. Octavia should be back here in a few hours. Lincoln was taking her to his place since it was closer to carry her. She's a ball of fun when she's tipsy but she's like an angry grizzly you poked with a stick when she's hungover and it's better him than me when it comes to dealing with her in the morning."

It took a lot for him to become comfortable with his sister's relationship with the firefighter, especially since he moved to Arcadia only six months prior. Octavia might not have minded keeping their relationship a secret from her brother, but Lincoln did. After what was their third date, he surprised Bellamy by stopping by the house while his little sister was at work. Bellamy wasn't too happy at the thought of his Octavia keeping something like this from him, but he respected the fact that Lincoln took the time to come clean, and want to have his approval, even though everything shouted at Bellamy to say no-the age gap, tattoos and the fact Lincoln was still a relative stranger to everyone, he couldn't deny wanting his sister to be happy. It helped that he was able to run a background check to make sure that his sister would be safe. Not that he believed that Indra would let anyone unsavory into her firehouse, but it wasn't until Lincoln helped save his sister after a bad run in with her ex.

"Do you think she'd mind going shopping with me? If I'm staying longer than a few days I'll need to stock up on some essentials." She says as she continues to give Gus a rub down, making kissy face at him. _Lucky dog._

"Clarke, I'm pretty sure she'd love to, everyone had a great time last night and I'm sure you're on your way to forging a few new friendships. If Octavia and Raven take to you the way I think they are, this town won't know what hit 'em." He says as he pours out the rest of the coffee from his mug, washes it clean and sets it down to dry; before he can voice his next thought, the front door unlocks and in walks Octavia, back to her normal deposition.

"Clarke! I'm so glad I found you! I had so much fun last night! Please tell me you're not planning on leaving soon? We definitely need to have that girls night. I texted Raven and she agrees. I know it seems like there's not much to do in a place like this, but it's not really where you're at, it's who you're with. Right, Bell?" Octavia is elated to see that Clarke is still here, she'd rushed over from Lincoln's after taking something for the headache she'd woken up with and drank about a gallon of water. She failed to mention that Raven had texted her this morning and asked if she had also noticed the glances that Bellamy and Clarke each sent when they thought the other wasn't looking. Octavia heartily agreed and was beyond delighted at the idea of Bellamy dating again. True, Clarke was still a complete stranger, and she did say she was taking a road trip for summer vacation but plans can change, and Octavia was determined to help make her brother happy. Bellamy sacrificed a lot for Octavia growing up and if she had to have Raven covertly make Clarke's truck inoperable to keep her in Arcadia longer, she would.

"It's funny you should ask that. Bellamy invited me to stay for a bit longer, and I was hoping, if it's not too much trouble, maybe you wouldn't mind going shopping with me, Bellamy said you had the day off? I'm really not packed for more that a two day stop anywhere. Is it alright that I'm staying here for the duration?" Clarke asks.

Octavia is beyond overjoyed and cannot wait to text Raven the news. "I'd be more than happy to, let me get dressed and once we figure out exactly what you're looking to buy, we can head out. When we get back, if you want to join us, Raven and I were going to have a movie night." Clarke looks relieved at Octavia's easy acceptance of both the news and the invite, after all, it's not everyday your brother invites a complete stranger to stay with them, but it made the start of Operation Date My Brother go that much more smooth.

Bellamy excuses himself from the kitchen, kissing Octavia on the head, "Don't get into too much trouble today." and leaves the girls to make their plans for the day. He heads to the backyard, spends some time playing with Gus, refills his water bowl, gives him one last scratch behind the ears, before he heads back inside to get ready for work, "Don't get too much dirt in the house while I'm gone. And make sure the girls and the house are safe. Love you."

* * *

Bellamy walks into the locker room at the station, both Miller and Murphy already there; Kane for some reason almost always has the three scheduled at the same time. It's convenient, especially when one considers how frequently the whole group meets up, vacations are different, there's not a large staff, but a town of roughly 400 doesn't exactly have a huge crime rate.

"I hear Clarke's staying with you for a little longer." Murphy asks almost as soon as Bellamy drops his bag on the bench.

"Oh really? That doesn't surprise me, she did say she usually tries to stay a day or so at each place she stops at." Bellamy says.

"Bullshit. You know as well as I do, it's going to be more than a day or so," Murphy stops in front of Bellamy, "might even be longer than a week."

"Honestly, Bellamy, you should know by now nothing's a secret with this group." Miller finally chimes in. "Octavia texted Raven, she told Jasper, he told Monty, Maya, and Harper. Monty told me, and by the time I got here Murphy already knew."

"Yeah, Harper told me." Murphy says as he gets this dazed lost in memory lane look, Bellamy catalogues this for a later date.

"Ok, so I offered her the option to stay longer. I'm not gonna lie, yes, I think she's attractive, but that's not the reason I made the offer. Here's a girl my sister's age, who obviously is capable and independent, but when I think of Octavia being in her shoes, and her car breaking down, driving everywhere alone, I'd breathe easier knowing someone offers her a safe place to stay if something unplanned happens. Plus, she's had a rough few years, she really needs to be able to relax without worry. She can do that here, it's not really a tourist hotspot but we're not that bad."

Murphy's got that glint in his eye. "How chivalrous of you..."

"Well, I think it's a great idea," Miller jumps in, not letting Murphy finish, "I liked her, she seemed to get along with everyone last night. Besides, the more the merrier, right?" All three men agree, at that, and not wanting to waste any more time, and as the two leave Bellamy to get dressed for his shift, Miller hangs back a bit.

"Hey," he says softly, "if he gives you shit about inviting Clarke to basically live with you for the summer, he didn't make it back to the apartment last night. And if he heard your news from Harper... Well, I think we can connect the dots as to his whereabouts last night."

Bellamy chuckles to himself, he wouldn't have thought about those two as a pair. "Murphy and Harper, huh? Now, who have seen that coming?"

* * *

By the end of the day, Bellamy was dead exhausted, could barely keep his eyes open they're so puffy and itchy; and there was nothing that he looked more forward to than getting home and sitting on the porch with Gus as they watched the night sky. The last thing he had to do before officially reached the end of his shift and could clock out was to find Kane and submit his paperwork, he and Miller traded off the paperwork portion unless they had any major incidents, and today he had drawn the short straw.

Bellamy mentally kicked himself, it hadn't occurred to him that Kane would also be curious about the newest resident in Arcadia; however, after Bellamy brought him up to speed on Clarke, how she ended up in their neck of the woods, and his own invitation to stay a while; the chief was quickly granting his approval.

"I can certainly see why everyone's so amused with the way this turned out, it's not everyday someone purposely comes here from out of state, but she's definitely in good company. I'm sure that regardless of how long she stays, she's going to have a vacation to remember while here, especially if Mister Green and Mister Jordan have anything to do with it, although I for one, am very glad they put their particular skill set in ways that won't have me pulling my hair out." Kane stood up at that moment, and came around to stand in front of Bellamy, eyes bright. "Your mother would be very proud of you, you've done such a wonderful job raising your sister, and now you've provided a safe environment to another young woman travelling alone. Be proud of that, and don't worry so much about what everyone else is thinking. Now get out of here and enjoy your day off tomorrow." With those last words, Marcus ushered him out of his office.

Bellamy quickly gathered up his belongings and took off towards home, eager for rest, and a bit anxious at what he'd find once he arrived.

He needn't have worried, though as he walked into his living room, a box of pizza on the coffee table, a couple bottles of Monty's moonshine, and both his sister and Clarke curled up on the couch with Gus watching Pacific Rim. He called out in greeting from behind the couch, which prompted Gus to leave the girls and make his way over to Bellamy to shower his affection at his return from work before running through the doggy door to the back.

"Oh my gosh Bell, today was so much fun!" Octavia got up and rushed over to him, much more steady on her feet compared to the night before- "Clarke is going to fit right in, and Clarke, thanks so much for a great day, Bell, there's still a few slices if you're hungry. Goodnight, I'm heading to bed." Octavia quickly grabbed the box of pizza and her drink before dancing off towards the kitchen as she leaves both Bellamy and Clarke behind.

"Bellamy?" Clarke asked, and he turned back towards her. "I just wanted to say thanks, for letting me stay here. I really like your friends and everyone's been so welcoming. It's great, really great. And I like it here. So thanks." She leans up on her tiptoes and presses her lips to his cheek. "Good night. See you in the morning." He's a little surprised to see her turn red as she turns in the direction of her room, but from the warmth he's feeling on his own face, he sure he's just as red, but he goes to sleep with a smile on his face.

a/n: So this is a little filler chapter, as we move past the introductions to the major players and go into the rest of the summer. Still not sure how many chapters until the end, but there is still more in sight. Anyone else ship Murphy/Harper? I can't explain it but I really love those two.

Off topic, but how about Jurassic World? Major Raptor, and raptor dad feels here y'all. My sister is playing devil's advocate and insisting I write for it and write her a Bucky/Nat fic, but don't worry, this is still at the forefront of my WIPs.

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks again.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. I just couldn't seem to make anything I wrote fit the flow of the story. But I finally found what I feel fits where I'm going. Hope you like it!

* * *

Octavia Blake loved her older brother, no one could deny that fact, and it hurt her heart every single time she thought about what he had given up to care and provide a stable home for her, so after she saw the chemistry between her brother and the girl he introduced as Clarke Griffin, she thanked every lucky star in the sky that the blonde conveniently ran out of gas in their stretch of the woods. Even better, Clarke would be staying, with them, for what Octavia hoped would be the remainder of summer. Bell deserved a little slice of happiness, and after getting to know the girl better during their shopping trip, Octavia decided Clarke would be a perfect match for her brother; an opinion that was shared by the rest of their friends.

Raven had been the first person Octavia went to confide in, and the two scheming headstrong females would be more apt to succeed in their freshly devised plan. Bellamy was long overdue for romance, and well, if everything goes according to plan, Clarke will fall in love with Arcadia too.

* * *

Clarke enjoyed the minimal responsibility that came with rest and relaxation, more so now that she didn't have to concern herself with timelines, destinations, and gas mileage. Her first week living with the Blakes went smoothly, helping to keep the house situated, fixing dinner if both siblings were at work, keeping Gus preoccupied, fed and well worn out by the time Bellamy arrived home.

The only problem with the peace and solitude- she needed more stimulation, and became restless to the point where it felt like she was just waiting around watching the grass brown from heat. The solution came from Maya just the night before, when the whole group had met up for dinner and a movie at the Blake's, exactly one week from the day Clarke decided she'd stay for the rest of summer.

" _Why don't you come speak with Nyko? I'm sure he'd appreciate the extra help. Plus, it would look good on any resume, and you'd have another reference when applying for work following med school."_

Arcadia was starting to look like her own private slice of paradise- new friends, good fun, and whatever it is that's beginning between her and Bellamy. Best of all, her mother is nowhere around to plot her life, push her towards this group or that, and for the first time in a long time, she felt well and truly happy. No feeling like Atlas, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, the future successes that are expected merely because she was the daughter of Dr. Abigail Griffin.

Clarke sat on the counter in the darkened kitchen, sipping her mug of tea, as she was apt to do most nights, reveling in the solitude and the sound of the wind as it rustled the leaves, when Bellamy finally arrived home from work.

"Long day?" She called out, having observed the obvious signs of exhaustion, the way he allowed his duffel to drop to the floor in the vestibule, the exaggerated rise and fall of his shoulders in time with his weary exhalation, the sigh not quite audible at her distance.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"I might have an inkling. Helping in the e.r. back home, the cops never really seemed to catch a break." Clarke slid down from the counter, trying to keep her sleep shorts from rising while not jostling her drink, reaching towards the cabinet to pull down another mug. _A cup of tea should help him relax._

Bellamy nodded his head in thanks as he watched Clarke prepare for him a mug of hot tea, not quite what he had in mind for himself upon walking through the door, desperately needing to forget the things he saw tonight. It was such a touching gesture, having someone other than O, or a familial figure, genuinely attempt to provide comfort and care for him. It seemed that, having cohabitated for the better part of the week, she'd picked up that he liked his coffee sweet and assumed that he'd like his tea that way, and was pleasantly surprised to find the brew quite flavorful, but following the first taste, feeling the warmth flow down his body, felt the beginnings of the tension he carried eep away. _So this is why O's drinking this sometimes before bed._

"Do you want to talk about it?" Clarke offered, knowing that her mother never liked to speak about bad days at the hospital, whether it be losing a patient, or having to giving a parent the horrible news that their child was… those were definitely aspects of her career path that were bound to break you.

"It's just wear and tear, you know? My old age catching up to me, as O so often says." He cracks a bit of a smile, and she returns the look in earnest, his face truly lights up with his joy, he's an attractive man, as he well knew, but when he smiled, you'd have to be blind not to notice.

"Please, you're only five years older than I!" She chuckles and makes her way to the living room, curling up on the sofa, tucking one leg beneath her, delighted to see him follow her, only pausing a moment before sitting on the opposite end, one arm flung carelessly across the crest, the tips of his fingers almost close enough to tease her hair. Drinking in the sight of him, still in uniform, shirt untucked and the first few buttons undone, white tee almost glowing in the ambient moonlight streaming in from the windows.

They sat in silence, empty mugs now abandoned to the coffee table, the palpable tension rising, until she found herself yawning, exhausted after what was her first day of work since her trip began. She told Bellamy about how Nyko was pleased to see that, not only did she have excellent references, but was a wonderful addition to the hospital, many of her new patients pleased to make her acquaintance, and eager to ask how long she'd been in town.

Bellamy chuckled, as he had a few townsfolk ask him if the mystery truck in his drive belonged to the new nurse at the hospital, he kept mum about that, having no desire to confirm what everyone surely knew to be true, choosing instead to let Clarke share where she was currently residing if she saw fit. They turned the conversation to lighter fare, and soon, Clarke was flush against Bellamy, asleep. He couldn't bring himself to disturb her just yet, and moved the throw that rested below his arm to cover her legs. He wrapped his arm around the girl, tilting his head back to rest his eyes for a moment, before succumbing to sleep himself.

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Reviews help with inspiration!**


	6. Chapter 6

Clarke shifted her head as she tried to snuggle deeper into her pillow and she curled her body in closer for warmth; a small frown forming as she slowly came to realize that her pillow was much more firm, and generated more warmth than it had the night before. Still fighting the exhaustion that made lifting one eyelid such a gargantuan task, with a slow glance up, and several moments for her tired mind to process the information, she came to the startling realization that she had fallen asleep on Bellamy, who had also succumbed to his weariness, albeit in a less comfortable position with his head lying on the crest of the couch. She gazed up at her sleeping host, free to drink in his features without the risk of being caught in her observations; her artist's eye memorizing every detail- from the smattering of freckles dusting his cheeks to the frown lines between his brows that her fingers were itching to smooth away, she couldn't deny that he was very easy to look at, his handsome features not doubt catching the eye of many admirers. Torn between wanting to let him rest and not wanting him to wake up feeling worse; she decided to err on the side of caution and rather than shake him awake, decided to softly call his name.

He looked so adorable as he scrunched his nose, clearly obvious he was beginning to wake. She felt horrible at disturbing him, but knew he'd rest better in his own bed than on the sofa, although she'd definitely miss his warmth once they went back to sleep separately.

He looked at her with heavy lidded eyes, his usually messy hair even more unruly with sleep and she felt her breath catch in her chest.

"Hmm"

"Hey, sorry to wake you. But I think we'd sleep better in a bed..." He suddenly looked more awake. "I mean- You'd sleep... our beds... Separate! You in yours, and, and me in mine!" Clarke could imagine the flushed look to her face, feeling the heat rise from her neck up, grateful for the muted glow of moonlight hopefully hiding the effects from Bellamy's gaze. She watched as he smirked at her, that sight lift at the corner of his mouth, dangerously igniting a flutter in her belly, but with her verbal filter letting her words flow unhindered like water through a sieve, it was like the night they met all over again.

He could see from the grimace on her face from where she was feeling rather embarrassed at her unintended innuendo and chose not to loose a less veiled innuendo of his own; but that didn't mean he wasn't going to gonna let her off the hook so easily either. "Either way, I'm glad you woke me. My neck's starting to ache, I'd hate to think of what it'd be like if we'd slept all night together." _Perhaps, before time comes for her to leave..._

Clarke managed to get her thoughts together, a coy smile forming at the realization that he was flirting with her! She felt giddy inside, who'd have thought that a chance meeting on the side of an empty highway would result in what was becoming the best part of her summer adventure. She was optimistic that perhaps, their budding friendship might become something more? "Well, I never said I was uncomfortable. You do make quite a nice pillow." She turned to head to her bedroom, a cheeky smile lighting her features, "Maybe we'll do this again sometime?" she called out as she flounced out of the room, the smile reaching to her eyes as she placed the ball firmly in his court.

Bellamy was left standing with a grin on his face, joyful at the word play and the hint of, well, the hint of more than companionship in the future. He was pleased that he had someone that he could speak with, she listened and didn't pass judgment, gave her honest opinion rather he agreed or not with her point of view, he liked arguing with her when debating little topics, watching the flush to her cheeks and fire in her eyes. He hadn't really connected with a girl like that. He'd had a few dalliances in the past with girls from near by Mount Weather, certainly not anyone here in town since he was in high school, and well, people talk. He raised his arms in a lingering stretch and strode to his bedroom. Cinnamon. She smelled of cinnamon, not exactly what he'd expected, since most girls go for something floral. He grabbed a pair of pajama pants, needing to shower away the day's grime before crawling into bed, still smiling at the joyful possibilities the future would bring.

* * *

Clarke woke up the following morning, making her way to the shower, energized and with a spring in her step, she was still riding the buzzing energy that came with the promise of a new romance. She never would have guessed that she'd have a summer fling, but there was something about Bellamy Blake that made her want to stay and linger. When he offered the use of their home for the remainder of summer, part of her was elated, they'd managed easy conversation the night they met, and he was unbelievably kind. Too many people back home play with their cards so close to their chest, weighing and measuring how you would benefit them, advance them in society, but with Bellamy, what you see is what you get. The day he took her to Kane's just reinforced the tender spot in her heart that got mushy for him. He'd listened and shared, and when they played in the water, she shocked at the desire to lick the droplets clinging to his jaw.

She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't realized she neglected to bring fresh clothes until she was standing in a towel having bumped into the man muddling her brain.

Bellamy wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, trying to think of the best way to ask Clarke on a date, when he'd bumped into said female. Fresh from the shower, wrapped in only a towel, hair dripping into a puddle on the hardwood floor of the hallway. They'd bumped hard enough that she'd almost slipped in the water flowing down her body, one hand holding the towel in place the other reaching for anything to steady herself, finding his bicep and clamping on as he hands caught her elbows to assist her with maintaining her balance.

Clarke was startled at this chance meeting, but the heat of his muscled arm under her palm and the hands that cupped her elbows grounded her to reality almost as if he were summoned by her very thoughts. The feel of the rougher texture of his hand at the brush of his thumb against her skin. The puff of his breath at her temple, the rise of his eyebrows as he realizes her state of undress, his gaze travels upwards and as their eyes meet once again, there is a heat to his gaze that must surely match hers.

Bellamy watches the shift in her features, her lids partially lowering, the upward tilt of her chin, to the slight hitch in her breathing, his right hand shifting from her elbow to the center of her back as he lowers his head to seal his lips to hers.

* * *

A/n: I'm hoping to maintain every other week updates to this fic until we reach the end, I'm writing and editing this without a beta and we all know what it's like being your own harshest critic. Any errors are completely mine. Let me know what you think! Reviews are like chocolate! :)


	7. Chapter 7

_Bellamy watches the shift in her features, her lids partially lowering, the upward tilt of her chin to the slight hitch in her breathing, his right hand shifting from her elbow to the center of her back as he lowers his head to seal his lips to hers._

He tasted like heaven and felt like home.

Clarke moved her hand slowly up from his bicep to the base of his neck as she edged up on tip-toe to better leverage herself up, allowing her body to be pulled flush into his as his left hand shifted to the space between her shoulder blades. She ran her hands into the curls at the nape of his neck, pleased to discover the stands flowed through her fingers like silk. She parted her lips to deepen the kiss when they heard the keys turning in the lock of the front door. They jumped apart, and with eyes wide, Clarke settled one hand back to secure her towel to her chest, and the other to her lips, she glanced up at Bellamy, his lips equally swollen from her kisses.

"Bell?!" Octavia called out as she entered the house, her keys clanking as she dropped them into the bowl on the front hallway table.

Bellamy took several deep breaths, trying to gather his composure, excited at the new development, but severely disappointed in his sister's timing, he figured it was karma for always playing the overprotective brother anytime she was around boys in high school. Running his fingers through his hair, he turned back down the bathroom hall, making his way to the living room as he heard the door to Clarke's room softly click shut, they'd been hidden from Octavia's prying eyes thanks to the layout of the house and the wall that partially separated the living space from the bedrooms.

Turning the corner, Bellamy smiled at the sight of his baby sister, he's so glad that she and Clarke are getting along well, because if they'd not set off on the right foot, his possible new relationship wouldn't even get off the ground. "Hey! How was work?"

"It was good, pretty quiet night, only a few calls, Mrs. Hudson fell pretty bad and needed to be hospitalized, thankfully she thinks Linc is, and I quote 'the bee's knees' and was much more accommodating when being loaded to the stretcher at the thought being in his 'more than capable hands'. She needs to keep her hands off my boyfriend or I'll put her back into the hospital as soon as she gets out."

"Tavi! She's like 70 years old! I don't think you have much to worry about."

"Why can't she be like the rest of her generation in this town and think because he's covered in tattoos, he's gotta be some sort of criminal or up to no good seeking to besmirch any young unmarried woman's reputation? I swear I saw her palm his ass in the back of the ambulance."

Bellamy couldn't resist laughing at seeing his sister so worked up over what would turn out to be nothing, he was worried at that with the man's appearance Lincoln would be nothing but trouble and heartbreak for her, but it was a huge relief to see that his sister was truly adored and he'd never had to worry Lincoln would break Octavia's heart checking to see if the grass was truly greener in another pasture.

"Who palmed whose ass, and do I need to gather bail money or a shovel? Although, seeing as your brother is a cop, perhaps he'll be the get out of jail free card?" Clarke asked, casually dressed in jeans and a blue tank, wet hair braided back, and a slight flush still on her cheeks.

"See, Bell! Clarke has my back." Octavia exclaimed as she flung her arm at her brother. "One of our patients got a little too touchy feely with Lincoln, and _someone_ here thinks it's hilarious because the woman is in her seventies! Get this Mr. Funny Man, she went dying swan on us so he'd give her CPR until I said that we needed to defib her. She perked right back up after that." She smirked at the thought of jolting the wannabe cougar as she plopped herself onto the sofa, she took in the mugs that they'd left on the coffee table the night before, one perfectly arched eyebrow lifted, but decided to keep any comments to herself, just in case something did happen, she didn't want to set them back in anyway. She couldn't wait to text Raven to tell her there was some progress even without their interference, and while the saying goes "Good things come to those who wait" Bellamy had certainly waited long enough for his happily ever after, it wasn't right that everyone else in their group was paired up, save for him. "Well, I'm exhausted and would love nothing better than to spend the rest of the morning with you two, but I'm going to have a shower and get some rest." she said as she trudged her way to her bedroom.

Clarke couldn't ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she watched Octavia exit the room, she wasn't upset at the new development, but it all seemed to be happening so quickly, she wasn't the type to just jump into a relationship without looking, but she's almost positive that if she were to confide in Wells, he'd be telling her to go for it, she's put her life on hold for school and why shouldn't she enjoy herself, enjoy the attention and possibility of a summer fling? She's going to be leaving once fall comes, so there's an end date in sight, no extended commitments unless she so chooses.

Bellamy glanced at Clarke, unable to decipher the look on her face, wasn't familiar with her enough to be able to gauge what the furrow between her eyebrows might mean for him. "I've, um, I've got to head over to Miller's, then to Kane's, but, maybe next week, when Octavia's not here, if you'd like to have dinner together?"

He was just as unsure as she was, and while Clarke could have easily pointed out that since she's technically living in his home, they already eat dinner together, but she knew without a doubt he meant in a more formal manner, which warmed her heart, since she couldn't remember the last time a guy offered to cook dinner for her as a date option, it was always a movie and fast food.

"I think I'd like that, very much."

* * *

Bellamy arrived at Miller's, unable to hide the smile on his face, his elation that Clarke accepted his offer of dinner was a step in the right direction. It was an odd start to a relationship, most of the time the end game is moving in together, but she's already in his house, much less on his mind much of the time and burrowing into his heart. They still had much to learn about one another and he knew she'd be going back to school in the fall, but he was definitely open to the possibility of a long distance relationship should they choose to extend this beyond the summer.

"Bell! Right on time, Kane wanted us to meet him by the south gate, said there was some fencing that went down, couldn't tell if it was rotting posts or if someone is trying to rustle cattle." Miller climbed into the passenger seat, and Bellamy turned the truck around and headed out towards the direction of Kane's farm.

"Cattle rustlers? In this day and age? I think it's more likely that the high schoolers are going cow tipping and didn't pay attention to whose cows they found and left in a panic."

"Right, cuz you, Murph, and I knew better than to herd cattle while indulging in the early days of Monty and Jasper's trial and error moonshine."

"I never said we knew better, just that we were lucky Vera didn't shoot our asses the second time she caught us."

"Those were the good old days." Miller waxed nostalgic, but while remembering the fun of their youth did put a smile on their faces, "Did she say yes?"

Bellamy turned to face Miller, trying to keep a straight face and failing "Yes."

"Well, congrats man. I told you she would. Monty swears that first night at Grounders she could hardly take her eyes off you. But did you listen to me, no. You say she looks after Gus and when you work late and come home to find him cuddled up with her asleep you get all sappy and wax poetic about this possibly being the one you've been waiting for, but you take your sweet time, At this rate your first kiss will be your last kiss as she drives off into the sunset." Miller was waiting for Bellamy to rise to the bait and get defensive, but when no response was given, "Well?"

Bellamy wasn't one to kiss and tell, but he did confide in Miller, the person he was closest to other than his sister and Kane, how hopeful he was that this would be more than just a fling. _Baby steps, Blake, baby steps._

* * *

 **A/N: So sorry for the delays, a lot of stuff going down at work that's stressing me out to no end. It puts me in a bitter mood, and well, the story's not supposed to sound bitter. Creative juices are slow going and I really want to put out longer chapters. You'll see a little bit of a time jump in the new few postings, seeing as we're still at the very beginning of Clarke's stay. Any editing errors are strictly my own. Reviews are a burst of sunshine on this very rainy day!**


	8. Chapter 8

Marcus Kane liked to think he was pretty darn good at his job, keeper of the peace, protector of the community, and reprimands were exactly that and it could hardly be considered constructive criticism when issuing a DUI. He was very protective of his citizens,and especially his staff, so when he'd heard rumour that Bellamy had a new house guest for the summer, he didn't shy away from running more than the customary background check.

* * *

There was only so much that could go right in one's life, you wouldn't have proverbial phrases involving life, lemons, and tequila if it was all sunshine and lollipops; Clarke was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. She'd been lost in thought while out for a morning run in the early hours, where the sun is just peaking the horizon, the chill from last night's air was refreshing. These past three weeks had been pure bliss: great job, nice people, great friends, and Bellamy was the icing on the cake. Sure, everyone had their little flaws, she was determined to always be right and he didn't like to admit when he was wrong, but the ensuing debates got her heated in a most desirable manner.

Traffic wasn't too busy, so there was little need to slow her pace, the burn of exhaustion calling her name as the house came into view. She'd finished a long overnight shift for Niko, and that combined with her run guaranteed a restful slumber. The upside meant she'd have the rest of today and tomorrow off, precious time she'd hope to dedicate to her artwork, and with everyone getting together at the Blake house Friday night, she wouldn't be able to sketch around such a large crowd.

Clarke allowed her mind to wander while she showered, remembering the celebrations that came with the Fourth of July. It was such a wonderful sight, and she'd even volunteered some of her time helping with the face painting booth that the rest of the hospital staff set up, in addition to running the first aid station, which hadn't had to handle more than the occasional upset stomach from too much fried food. Bellamy, having changed out of his uniform at the end of his shift, had come by their booth once there was a lull in customer traffic,and promptly escorted her to grab a delicious cheeseburger courtesy of the high school band boosters, followed by a dessert of fried oreos at the fire department's booth.

They'd walked hand in hand over to the arts and crafts booths, and purchased some packages of sweetened roasted nuts to enjoy as they listened to local bands at different stages around the fairgrounds. She'd been helpless to resist his charm as he pulled her to the dance floor when the cover band played a beautiful remix of "Every Breath You Take" and "Stand By Me". They enjoyed the music, food, games, and laughter up until the fireworks show began, sitting in the bleachers, with Clarke's head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist, blissful smiles to match.

The rest of the townsfolk couldn't deny the chemistry of the new couple, and many of Clarke's elderly patients were delighted to think that perhaps the bloom of romance could keep the pretty future doctor in town for good.

* * *

Abby Griffin was becoming more resentful of this summer road trip that her daughter embarked upon. Thanks to the wonders of social media, her daughter's few uploads give her the peace of mind that she's alive and well. The fewer text messages told her that Clarke was doing fine, found a place to stay at until the end of summer, making new friends, new job. She could read what Clarke wasn't saying that her Instagram posts revealed. She was happy. Happier than she'd looked in the past six months. The location tag was clue enough, but when she'd received an email from a colleague that a Clarke Griffin was requesting information about Mount Weather University's medical program, she'd been slightly offended that she'd had to find out this tidbit from someone other than her daughter, and reached for her cell phone.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm so terribly sorry that it's taken me forever to put out another chapter, I didn't like the way it was transitioning. I also work retail, so you can imagine how hectic these past few months were coming up to the holiday.**

 **I'm so happy I was able to get this ready for y'all in time for Christmas. I hope you enjoyed this next glimpse into GNF, and I'd love hear from y'all, either in a review, or come find me on tumblr- nixandschnitz.**

 **Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings and Happy New Year!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Clarke, it's your mother, call me when you get a moment… I just need to talk to you." Abby Griffin was pacing the hallway in front of the master bedroom, exasperated at the fact she had already left two voicemails for her daughter earlier this week and had yet to get a response. The stress of work coupled with a mother's worry for her daughter's well being was beginning to show, and she was hoping, albeit a bit guilty at the thought,that Clarke could hear that in the tone of her voice. "Clarke, please. It's important that you call me back as soon as you're able…" she paused, one hand trying to rub the strain of the day from her temple. "I love you, and hope to hear from you soon sweetheart."

Abby Griffin went to her bedroom, paced back and forth a few more times, ideas rushing through her head, and began to plan, either she'd hear from Clarke soon, or she'd get her answers in person. She opened her mostly unused Instagram account, and looked at the face of her daughter, smiling and laughing in a way she'd not seen before both Wells and Jake had passed.

* * *

Bellamy was stuck between a rock and a hard place; on one hand, he could attempt to maintain a long distance relationship with Clarke, if she desired, or he could put his pride and his heart on the line and have a more meaningful discussion about their relationship. The time was ticking, there was only about two weeks left until Clarke would need to pack up and return to her life away from Arcadia. He'd been distracted most of the night, and was grateful that majority of his shift was quiet, there had only been two calls to dispatch.

"Trouble in paradise?" Miller asked as they turned down another empty residential block, families tucked in for bed, all is quiet and peaceful lending even more time for the restless energy that is stirring under Bellamy's skin. There was a visible tension held in his friend's posture and a sadness to his eyes that had been absent for the duration of the summer.

Bellamy chewed on his lower lip, unwilling to burden his closest friends with his own romantic woes, but Miller was his best friend, had been for years and if anyone other than Octavia could read him like a book, it was Miller. "Not really trouble, just…" he ran his hands over his face, an aggravated sigh emerging from his lips, "she's leaving town soon and I can't bring myself to want to let her go without asking her what this thing between us really is."

Nathan Miller wasn't the most verbose of their little ragtag group, but that just made him more observant than most. Octavia had recently expressed to him that she was delighted that Bell had found someone he meshed with, having been forever single since his high school sweetheart Gina left for bigger and better opportunities in a bigger city than Mount Weather across the county. It hurt to see everyone Bell loved be separated from him, first his mother, then Gina, and now Miller seriously hoped that fate wouldn't do the same with Clarke. His own boyfriend, Monty, tried to offer him reassurances that Bellamy was in good hands.

"Bell, you really need to talk to her. You can't keep it inside, trying to harden your heart to not feel the hurt. I love you man, but I can't keep riding herd on Murphy if he sees you moping about heartbroken. I know we've only known her for a few months, but Clarke doesn't seem like the type to play games. At least give yourself a chance?"

* * *

Clarke looked up from the paperwork she was finalizing, the irony of such being that filling out form after form took longer than it had to see and fix the child's sprained wrist. The medical shows on television always skip over the glamour that is paperwork, and just once could she completely use up a pen without losing it? She ran her fingers through her hair grimacing as she snagged onto a tangle with the pen, while muttering a curse under her breath.

"And that's why I keep my hair short."

Clarke couldn't keep the laughter in as she turned to face Lincoln, cheeky grin on his face as he walked up to the administrative counter, resting one elbow on the counter, causing the teenaged intern to become so flushed Clarke would have been concerned about a rash.

"Have you given anymore thought to the topic of our previous conversation?" Lincoln asked of her, still oblivious to their audience.

"I have, it's been… I've finally come to a decision. I think I have to do what's best for me." She paused, chewing on her lower lip, "You've been so supportive, I'm lucky to have you for a friend."

Before they could continue their conversation, a familiar voice called out from behind Clarke, one she didn't think she'd hear from in person.

"Clarke?"

It was her mother.

* * *

Bellamy was restless.

He was grateful that night's patrol was uneventful, he'd kept weighing Miller's words over again in his head. He dropped his duffel as soon as he walked in, the lights in the house off save for the one above the sink signaling no one was home. Gus padded over to him, sniffing at his pants and letting out a whine for affection. Bellamy squat down to pepper kisses and scratches to appease the dog, "lovies" the girls called it. "Hey bud, how's my best bud? I know, I missed you too."

Making their way to the kitchen, Gus' nails clicking on the hardwood floor behind him, the pace increasing when Bellamy approached the fridge. He opened it, grabbing a bottle of Monty and Jasper's latest creation, and the remaining can of wet food for Gus.

"Guess it's just you and me tonight, huh bud? Want some special dinner?" Gus loved his wet food, and proceeded to do what Octavia had affectionately dubbed the dinner dance all the way to his bowl. Bellamy leaned back against the kitchen counter, popped the top off the bottle, before raising it to his lips with an exhausted sigh.

Leaving Gus to happily slurp away at his meal, Bellamy walked to the bookshelf in the living room, reaching to the top shelf for a well worn copy of _The Iliad._ Gina had given it to him, the day after he'd taken her to the museum in Mount Weather. It was such a corny date, but she'd been so encouraging of his interest, he wanted to share that with her.

He moved the copy out of his bedroom two weeks after they broke up, the summer after graduation seven years ago. He'd been crushed when Gina told him she loved him, but she couldn't stay in Arcadia anymore, she need to do more and start afresh somewhere else where the possibilities were endless. And so, with a parting hug and wistful goodbye, they went their separate ways. He never heard from her again.

He ran his hands over the cover and the bindings, so lost in thought he didn't hear the front door open and close. "How do I ask her to stay, when everyone else has left me?" he muttered, one hand running through his hair in frustration.

"Did you say something?"

Bellamy jumped, the book dropping to the floor with a resounding thud in the silence, he turned around to look at. Clarke, a sheepish smile on her face barely visible in the dark.

"I'm sorry. Didn't mean to startle you, I thought you were asleep since the lights were still out." She said as she put down her purse and keys, and flicking on the light with a practiced ease that screamed of familiarity before continuing on, the flush on her cheeks rising as she excitedly continued.

"I have so much to tell you! You'll never guess what happened today at the end of my shift. My mother, that sneak, walked into the office while I was speaking with Lincoln. How she managed to find me here, I'm not sure if I should be pleased or upset about it, but anyway, she's here and wanted to talk to me about school and interning in the fall. Which is great because I can't wait to tell you the news… I've been accepted to Mount Weather University's med school for the upcoming semester! It certainly helped that I've got excellent grades and references," Clarke begins to ramble on in her excitement, hands gesturing wildly.

Bellamy's trying to process what that sentence could potentially mean for them and he's unintentionally tuned her out until she calls his attention.

"Bellamy? So can I?" Clarke's looking up at him, the excitement has since turned into uncertainty at his continued silence.

"Congratulations!" He sputters quickly, "That's great news. How'd your mom take it?"

"Great, actually. I was worried she'd be upset, but she's had some time to think things through." Clarke moves to sit on the couch, plopping herself down in a way that just screams exhaustion. "She even offered to lease an apartment for me in the city but I told her I was thinking of commuting in. Although that kinda depends on you."

"On me? Why?"

"Well, I didn't want to just assume you'd let me live here once the semester started, but I figured if not here I could always look at Raven's old apartment complex. I like the town, the people are nice. Niko's a great boss. And well, I was also kinda hoping we could see where this-" she gestures between the two of them- "goes?"

"You want to stay here? While commuting to MW? Live and work here?" Bellamy asks, receiving a nod from Clarke at each question. "Yes, you can stay, here, with me."

Clarke reaches for his hand, pulling him to sit beside her, leaning her head against his shoulder. It's nice, just sitting there with him.

"You know, uh," Bellamy starts," I was actually working on asking if you wanted to try the long distance relationship thing. I was so sure you were gonna be leaving here, but I didn't want to just have it end."

"Me either. You know how you just connect with someone? Like two pieces of a puzzle that just fit together? That's us." Clarke smiles when he gives their interlocked hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Besides, I think my mom might have a little crush on Kane. She's already mentioned something about looking for either a house or land nearby so she can come visit me whenever possible. When I left her at Wick's bar they were still talking."

"Think she'll transplant permanently?" Bellamy asked, already imagining his boss trying to find out more about his girlfriend's mother.

"It's possible? I think she might invest in the moonshine though, she liked the kick. The guys are ecstatic at the idea." She let out a jaw cracking yawn, before standing and pulling Bellamy to his feet.

"Guess it's bedtime for both of us." Bellamy glanced at his watch, confirming that it was very, very early in the morning.

"Bed...mmm... Sounds perfect." She remarked as she dragged him to her room, the idea of spending the night cuddled up with her boyfriend on a regular basis put another smile on her face, know tonight wouldn't be their last cozily tucked itself in the corner of her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Morning dawned bright and early in the Blake household as Octavia bounced into the bed accompanied by a equally excited Gus waking the occupants from their slumber in a less than graceful manner. "Guys, y'all'll never guess what happened last night!" She shouted as she bounced on her knees pulling the covers off Bellamy and Clarke.

"Stop it, O," Clarke pleaded as she shoved the pillow over her own face, "it's too early."

Bellamy throws his pillow at his sister before promptly announcing that she's been out voted and needs to make breakfast and fix coffee before anymore conversation occurs.

"Fine. Fine. But y'all better hurry up." Octavia says pointing at him before flicking her fingers back and forth from them to the kitchen as she flounces from the room.

"Ugh."

"She's your sister." Clarke responds as she climbs out of bed, trudging her way to the bathroom to freshen up.

They've arrived in the kitchen to a fresh pot of coffee, fruit and bagels.

"Okay, so last night…" Octavia rushes into the tale of the drama at the bar but Clarke tunes it out while watching the siblings with one another. She lifts her cup of coffee to her lips, imaging mornings with Bellamy, breakfast and laughter everyday in the her future. _I could get used to this._

* * *

 ** _a/n: I'm sorry it took almost a year to post this, the original chapter never really felt right. I've been sitting on this chapter and the epilogue for quite some time. Fandom drama and what I'd assumed to be lack of interest kept me away. But thank you to the user that messaged me and gave me the motivation to return to toys chapter and make it feel right. I hope you enjoy it._**

 ** _Happy holidays y'all, epilogue to be posted soon._**


	10. Chapter 10-epilogue

Clarke stood in the doorway, smile upon her face at the sight of her friends and family before her. It was her and Bellamy's first Christmas together, and so far everything was turning out great. The food was delicious, the tree still looked fresh, and everyone seemed to be getting along.

Her mother had found a house to rent under the guise of being able to visit when she had the time off from the hospital, but in a small town like theirs there's very few secrets. Her and Kane's relationship seemed to be progressing to the point where she didn't need to rent a place she never stayed at when she was in town anyway. Both Clarke and Bellamy were pleased to see the two finding happiness again.

Raven and Wick had officially called it quits after another blistering argument that resulted in Wick closing the bar and leaving town. Abby called in an investor friend who was leaving his mother's company and might be interested in a change of career. Monty and Jasper soon found themselves with another financial backer and branched out into a successful line of craft beers. Raven was frequently seen engaging in what Clarke called the "weirdest foreplay ever" with the former heir to Azgeda Investments. She'd even received a Christmas present from the man that put a rare blush on her cheeks.

Lincoln had proposed to Octavia at Thanksgiving, having asked both Kane and Bellamy's blessing. Clarke's mother somehow managed to be included on the planning and the newly engaged couple were already planning a spring wedding at Kane's ranch.

Clarke and Bellamy settled into domestic bliss, with Gus becoming even more spoiled with his own big bed now that Clarke had moved into Bellamy's room. She'd been overjoyed when Niko offered her a permanent place in his practice once she finished her degree.

Prepping for the holiday in their home was a mad rush to ensure that everything was ready. Keeping up with their friends and family was a marathon in and of itself. Their last guest had departed and Clarke went to plop herself down on the couch next to Bellamy. He placed his arm around her and cuddled her closer to his side with Gus curled up by his feet. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, life was perfect.


End file.
